Accrington on Rails - The Tramways: A Complete History - Robert Kenyon

of electric lighting in the Tramsheds had been scrutinised, and it was resolved to accept the one submitted by Messrs Stephenson & Son as the lowest one at £37. A letter was received from the Clerk to Clayton-le Moors District Council, it read as follows - Dear Sirs, The Corporation of Accrington is respectfully requested to consider the question of dividing the tramway route between Accrington and Clayton into three stages at a fare of one-halfpenny each. It was decided the Sub-Committee could not comply with this request. At a meeting of the General Purposes Committee it was resolved that the following increases should be awarded to employees working for the Tramway Department - Mr Thomas Marshall (Parcels Clerk), from £1 – 7s – 0d per week to £1 – 10s – 0d per week. Mr Christopher Byrne (Inspector), from £1 – 8s – 0d per week to £1 – 11s – 0d per week. April At a meeting of the Electrical, Legal & Parliamentary Committee, the Town Clerk reported he had received from the Assessment Committee of the Blackburn Union, the rateable assessment for those tramways situated within the Union. He had prepared comparative statements showing the old and new rates for the benefit of this Committee as follows - District Old Rate New Rate Church £55 £93 Clayton-le Moors £110 £171 -10s Oswaldtwistle £125 £191 TOTALS £290 £455 – 10s It was resolved that the Town Clerk should give notice that the Corporation would appeal against these assessments. Another letter was received from Clayton-le-Moors District Council, requesting a meeting to discuss the issue previously raised of the fares on the tramcars to Clayton. It was resolved to invite their representatives to the next meeting of this Committee. The Electrical Sub-Committee visited Blackburn Road to assess the validity of locating an additional request stop between Lonsdale Street and Russia Street, but decided against this proposal. They also examined the causes of a complaint from the owner of number 9 Union Road in Oswaldtwistle, about the tramway pole located outside his shop. Since the alteration from a dwelling to a business had been made after the Tramway had been opened, it was decided the Committee would not recommend this pole be repositioned elsewhere! May At a meeting of the Electrical Legal & Parliamentary Committee, the Borough Treasurer submitted accounts for the year ending March 31 st , 1910/11. They showed a net revenue of £1,753 – 16s – 2d as compared with the previous £1,730 – 11s – 5d for the period 1909/10. That the Depreciation & Renewals Fund of £1,730 – 10s – 9d, ( which was the cost of putting in the additional curve at the junction of Ellison Street with Blackburn Road ). The transfer of this sum to the Depreciation & Renewals Fund was approved. It was further resolved to lodge an appeal against the rateable assessment of the Tramways in Huncoat, and that an additional ‘request stop’ should be fixed to Tramway standard number 277 between Lonsdale Street and Russia Street on Blackburn Road! It was next resolved to pass on to the Sub Committee the question of an increase in salary for Mr Harry Pilling, which had been in abeyance since March, 1910. A deputation consisting of Doctor Clegg (Chairman), Councillors Armstrong and Parker along with the Town Clerk from Clayton-le-Moors District Council, met with this Committee to discuss their request for a reduction in the fares between Accrington and Clayton. It was resolved at the culmination of these talks that the Town Clerk of Accrington would reply in writing, that ‘with regret’ the Corporation could not comply with their request. It was then resolved to increase the insurance cover on the Ellison Street depot to £6,000, and to obtain fire hoses for use in the Tramsheds. It was then resolved to insure the tramcars themselves for an ‘adequate’ amount. The Electrical, Legal & Parliamentary Committee met to receive the findings of the Assessment Committee’s ‘Umpire’ Mr Wainwright under his arbitration. His judgement was that the gross estimated rental value of the Tramway was £4,944 and that the rateable value of the Tramways and depot in Accrington was £2,549. He also included a set of the criteria upon

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